Frank Gore on Ray Rice: “He good. I love his style.”

SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Frank Gore said at his locker this afternoon.

Q: Is the short week going to be a little bit of a test for you?

GORE: Coach is doing a great job with us. I feel that a short week for everybody it’s kind of tough. You’ve got to be smart.

Q: How much game plan have they been able to put in?

GORE: They’re doing a good job. They’re putting it in there.

Q: Can you imagine some studying taking place on the plane?

GORE: Yeah. We do that period, though.

Q: Vernon said he’s going to sleep regardless, though. He says he needs his rest.

GORE: (Laughs). Yeah, that’s a five-hour flight. You know, get you about two hours of sleep. Get you about 30, 40 minutes of studying.

Q: Do you guys paying attention to Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh?

GORE: Not really. They’re both competitive. We’re competitive as a team. Baltimore has a great team – they’ve been playing great ball for a while. Now we’re doing our thing, so it should be a great game.

Q: Would you like to be the No. 1 seed? Is that a goal for your team?

GORE: Yeah, I feel that. If we can be a No. 1 seed, why not do it, you know? We just take it one game at a time, tough.

Q: Do you think Baltimore’s going to be the toughest defense you’ve faced this year?

GORE: They have a great defense. It’s going to be a tough game.

Q: How do you feel?

GORE: Good.

Q: Has your priority been to stay as much off of your feet as possible?

GORE: I feel that you must do that, just having a game a Sunday and now having a game Thursday. I think you must stay off your feet.

Q: So did you do less on the stair master and things like that?

GORE: Yeah, I kind of cut back. The coaches told me to cut back, and I did.

Q: Was that hard for you?

GORE: I’m going to do what my coach says, and since I’ve been listening to him I’ve been feeling pretty good.

Q: What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

GORE: I’m thankful for the year we’re having as a team.

Q: Is it kind of surreal to think you could clinch a playoff spot this Thursday?

GORE: That would be big. That’s been my goal since I’ve been here – to get in the playoffs.

Q: If you win and Seattle loses, you’re in.

GORE: That would be a blessing.

GC: How good is Ray Rice?

GORE: (Eyes light up). He good. I love his style. He can run between the tackles good, he’s very quick, he can catch the ball well. He’s a smart player. I like his game a lot.

GC: Is he as good as you?

GORE: Aw, man. Come on, man. I’m not going to answer that question. I’m never going to put another man in front of me, but I like his game a lot.